RedZone LEAGUE
OPERATING MANUAL
RedZone Football Academy
@ Diamond Dreams
216 E. 9th St.
Coralville, IA 52241
Phone: 319-358-2926
Email:
League Home: redzoneleague.com
RedZone Home: redzonefootballacademy.com
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The RedZone League is open to all youth players in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and the surrounding communities. The league mission is to provide an instructional, fun, & competitive football experience through RedZone’s three core values: fundamental instruction, personal improvement, and success for all.
· Fundamental Instruction- teaching fundamentals that build sound football skills, and are the most important building blocks toward sustained improvement & success. These fundamentals are essential to developing advanced skill sets.
· Personal Improvement- instilling critical values such as teamwork, fun, fair play, confidence, & leadership; continued improvement physically, mentally, and socially.
· Success For All- seeing that every player experiences success in our programs. Success is defined differently for everyone; we take time to see that every player has success and enjoys their experience in all RedZone programs.
RedZone – USA Football – NFL Flag
The RedZone League is powered by USA Football and NFL Flag. Endowed by the NFL in 2002, USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL. USA Football provides tremendous resources to our league including equipment, parent-player memberships, coach memberships, and educational online resources.
RedZone recommends a flag football league for players in grades 1-6 for two reasons:
Skill Development & Player Safety.
· Skill Development- The most effective skill development for a youth player occurs without the restriction of pads and a helmet. Often, many young players cannot correctly perform basic football movements without pads; many struggle to master these skills because they put the pads on before they develop adequate body control and strength. Their range of motion becomes restricted and they keep performing the most basic drills poorly. As a result, players develop difficult-to-break habits at a young age. Eliminating pads allows players to develop body control, field awareness, and correct muscle memory. These fundamentals are extremely important throughout a player’s entire athletic career.
· Player Safety- By limiting collisions and teaching proper fundamentals at a young age, the league aims to provide an instructional & safe environment for young players to develop physically. We also provide points of emphasis and practice drills in order to prepare players for the transition into tackle football. The RedZone League offers a safe game without compromising instruction, player improvement, and competitiveness.
SCHEDULE
August 14 / Coaches/Ref TrainingRosters/Schedules announced
August 15 / Training Camp & PPK
(practice can start)
September 4 / FRYfest/Jersey Handout
Picture Day
September 7-11 / Scrimmage Week
September 15 & 17 / Week 1 @ Scott Park
Picture Days
September 22 & 24 / Week 2 @ Scott Park
Sept 29 & Oct 1 / Week 3 @ Napoleon Park
October 6 & 8 / Week 4 @ Napoleon Park
October 13 & 15 / Week 5 @ Napoleon Park
October 19-23 / Playoffs
October 24 / Championship Games
League Operating Procedures
I. Age Divisions & Player Eligibility
1. There are 3 age divisions (player’s grade as of the 2015 school year)
a. 1st-2nd Grade
b. 3rd-4th Grade
c. 5th-6th Grade
2. Players may play for only one team in one division
3. Upper-aged players are allowed to play up a division with written consent from the coach and parent. This means a 2nd grader may play in the 3rd-4th division or a 4th grader may play in the 5th-6th division. No 1st or 3rd grader may play up.
II. Roster
1. Teams should have a minimum of 8 players on their roster; maximum of 15.
2. All players must be registered, paid in full, and accept USA Football terms, conditions, and player insurance coverage before they can practice or play.
3. Teams may have a maximum of 4 coaches during games. Teams must identify a head coach to the league. The head coach will be responsible for communicating with RedZone personnel and their team.
4. All players MUST ‘start’ on offense or defense in each half of the game. START= 2 posessions
III. Practice
1. Teams are allowed a maximum of 2 practices per week. No practice should exceed 90 minutes.
2. Practice can begin on August 15.
3. Coaches are responsible to schedule practice that best works for the team.
4. Coaches are encouraged to draw from model team and practice templates included in the league manual.
IV. Pre-Season
1. A coaches & referees clinic will be held Friday, August 14th. A representative, preferably the Head Coach, from every coaching staff is required to attend this clinic. All other coaches are also encouraged to attend.
2. Training Camp will occur on Saturday, August 15th. This is optional but highly encouraged for all players. A representative from every team’s coaching staff is required to attend the Training Camp and assist with the Punt, Pass, & Kick event that afternoon.
3. A league kickoff celebration will take place on Friday, Sept 4th at Diamond Dreams in coordination with FRYfest. Coaches & players can pickup game jerseys, flag belts, equipment, picture packets, rosters, and other league material that day.
V. Regular Season
1. Regular season begins on September 15th. Scrimmages make take place the week before the season begins.
2. Regular season games will be played every Tuesday and Thursday for 5 weeks. Every team will play 1 game per week.
3. Schedules will be available by August 15. Flex Scheduling may occur in weeks 4 & 5.
VI. Post Season Tournament
1. A post-season tournament will be held October 19-23.
2. All teams will make the tournament and are guaranteed a 2 game minimum.
3. Tournament seed based on regular season record (ties determined by head-head result or coin flip.)
4. The championship game is known as the RedZone Bowl.
VII. League Actions
1. The league reserves the right to amend rules in order to establish fair play, good conduct, player safety measures, and necessities to ensure league objectives are met. All changes will be communicated to the coaches, parents, and refs.
2. League personnel may drop by practice to assist with drills and ensure league rules and RedZone values are being followed.
3. The league will work in cooperation with coaches on practice/game location, field setup, player registration, league promotion, reporting results, and other necessary tasks.
4. The league reserves the right to suspend, dismiss, or discipline any official, coach, player, or parent from games or the program in the interest of instilling RedZone’s core values and achieving the league objectives.
General Gameplay Rules
1. Game is played 7 vs. 7
a. A ground snap from a center to the quarterback will start every play
b. All offensive players are eligible to receive a pass from the QB.
c. All players, except for the center, are allowed to take a handoff/pitch/toss in the backfield from QB
d. There are no handoffs or backfield exchanges allowed when a play starts in a “No Run Zone.”
2. Two 25-minute halves, continuous clock; the clock will stop only after a score inside the last 2 minutes of a half.
a. Each team will have one 30-second timeout per game; this will stop the clock.
b. Overtime is untimed. College format. Teams start from midfield and must go for 2 after a score.
c. When time expires at the end of either half, the offensive team may finish their current drive ONLY if they had possession of the ball beyond midfield before time expired.
3. The field will be 70 yards long (Two 10-yard endzones) and 30 yards wide with the following zones/markings:
a. Goal Lines, Boundary Lines. And a Midfield Strip (1st down line)
b. Dotted Lines 5 yards from each endzone marking start of possessions, 2pt try line & a No Run Zone
c. Dotted Lines 5 yards on each side of midfield to mark No Run Zones.
d. Two red stripes running the length of the field 10 yards in from each sideline. These hash-like marks will indicate the interior box in which defenders must be lined up at least 7 yards off the LOS.
*See Field Diagram for assistance
4. Offense has 4 downs to cross midfield and gain a 1st down; 4 downs to score after crossing midfield.
a. If a team advances the ball past midfield and later regresses back due to penalty or loss of yards, a first down is not awarded again if the team again advances back across midfield.
5. All possessions will start at the offenses’ own 5-yard line, EXCEPT when taking over after a turnover.
6. QBs have a 7-second pass clock. If a pass/handoff is not attempted within 7 seconds of snap, the play is dead; the down is lost and the next down will start at the previous spot.
7. Offense must have 4 players on the line of scrimmage at the snap (this includes the center and 3 others).
3 players can be in backfield—the QB and 2 backs. Recommended RB formation is a PRO set.
a. A RB or WR (only one) who is clearly lined up behind the LOS may go in motion before the snap.
b. Offense must align & snap the ball with 1 player outside the box on each side of the offensive formation.
8. All defenders lined up inside the box must be at least 7 yards off the LOS when the ball is snapped
a. Defenders that line up outside the box-Can line up at any depth
b. The 7-yard box rule does not apply when the offense is in a No-Run Zone (except for a rusher)
9. Rushing the QB is allowed from behind the 7-yard “Rush Line”; only 1 defender is allowed to rush the QB.
a. Defenders lined up in front of the rush line cannot cross the LOS before an exchange is completed.
b. Offensive players are allowed to block rushers with open hands and between the shoulders and chest
c. Quarterbacks cannot run the ball beyond the LOS unless a rusher crosses the LOS or engages a blocker on the LOS.
10. Scoring:
a. Touchdowns are worth 6 points.
1. Scoring team can choose to “Take the Point” and be awarded an automatic PAT.
2. OR the offense may attempt a 2-point try from the 5-yard line. (Must be a pass)
b. A defensive safety is worth 2 points.
11. Ball carriers will be penalized for charging, flag guarding, leaving their feet unnecessarily, or causing unnecessary contact
12. Defenders must attempt to pull the ball carrier’s flags. Attempting to strip the ball will result in a defensive penalty. Defenders leaving their feet, diving for flags and causing unnecessary contact will also be penalized.
Complete Game Rules
I. Game
1. The visiting team will start the game on offense. Teams change goals after the first half. Possession starts with the team that started the game on defense.
2. The offensive team takes possession of the ball at its own 5-yard line and has four (4) downs to cross midfield for a 1st down. Once a team gets a 1st down, they have four (4) downs to score a touchdown.
3. If the offense fails to gain a 1st down or score a touchdown in 4 downs, the ball changes possession, and the new offensive team starts its drive on its own 5-yard line. All possession changes, except interceptions & live ball fumbles recoveries, start on the offense’s own 5-yard line. In the case of a turnover, the new offense will take over at the previous play’s dead ball spot.
II. Eligibility
1. All players must be registered with the league, paid in full, and registered with USA Football (1-year free membership, insurance coverage, terms, & conditions). Players who have not meet all the requirements will not be eligible to practice or play.
III. Equipment
1. The league provides each player with a jersey, flag belt, and flags. Players will be allowed to keep the jersey at leagues end, but the flag belt and flags must be turned in.
2. RedZone will provide coaches with footballs, cones, and a first aid kit. Must be returned at end of season.
-ONLINE—videos, 3-D Drills, practice plans, and more with your free USA Football Coaching Membership
3. Players must wear athletic shoes. Football cleats are highly encouraged; molded or rubber spikes only.
4. Players may tape their forearms, hands and fingers. Players may wear gloves and protective gear w/in good reason. Braces with exposed metals are not allowed.
5. Players must remove all watches, earrings and any other jewelry that the officials deem hazardous.
6. Players’ jerseys must be tucked into the pants/shorts and not cover the flags in any way. Flags must hang directly down the outside of player’s legs.
7. Athletic pants/shorts must be worn, preferably with no pockets. No jeans/khakis/cargo pants allowed. Please try to wear pants that are NOT the same color as the flags you are issued.
IV. Field
1. The field dimensions are 30 yards by 70 yards with two 10-yard end zones
2. ‘No-Run Zones’ precede each line-to-gain by 5 yards.
3. No-Run Zones are in place to prevent teams from conducting power run plays in short yardage situations. While in the No-Run Zones (a 5 yard area before midfield and before the end zone), teams cannot run the ball in any fashion. All plays must be pass plays. Each offensive squad approaches only TWO No-Run Zones in each drive (one zone 5 yards from midfield to gain the first down, and one zone 5 yards from the goal line to score a TD).
4. (The Box) Two red stripes running the length of the field 10 yards in from each side line. These hash-like marks will indicate the interior box in which defenders must be lined up at least 7 yards off the LOS. This rule will not apply when an opposing offense is in a No-Run Zone. The offense must also always line up a player outside the box on each side of the offensive formation.
V. Coaches
1. One coach will be allowed on the field during gameplay.